www.monumentcrisiscenter.org ♦ @monumentcrisisc ♦ facebook.com/monumentcrisiscenter ♦ P: (925) 825-7751 ♦ F: (925) 825-8732 Mailing: P.O. Box 23973, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 ♦ Site: 1990 Market St., Concord, CA 94520

SUMMER 2017

SUMMER 2017

Message from the Executive

Director- Sandra Scherer

In mid-June we celebrated our 2nd annual Summer Solstice summer camp fundraiser with a “Summer of Love” theme. 50 years ago, in 1967 throngs of young people came to San Francisco to be part of a movement, a resistance, a cultural revolution. What they left was an enduring legacy.1

This summer at Monument Crisis Center, young college interns are part of

The Rundown 2017-2018 Backpack Collection and Distribution -Monument Crisis Center’s Back-2-School Backpack Drive is underway! Backpacks and supplies will be collected through Thursday August 3rd. Distribution to the local kids in need will take place on Saturday August 12th!

Monument Crisis Center Turns 14! -The Center celebrates its 14th anniversary on August 19th!

Faith Engagement Breakfast -October, date and time to be determined. Look for more information in our next newsletter.

Halloween Party -Thursday October 26th 3pm Monument Crisis Center hosts the kids and families of After School Café and Teen Center for a spooktacular afternoon

Turkey Collection -Monday November 13th- Tuesday November 21st Donate a frozen turkey to Monument Crisis Center and help a family have the Thanksgiving everyone deserves. If you are interested in donating money towards this distribution, we are asking for $20 per turkey. Help us reach our goal of giving 1,000 Thanksgiving turkeys to families in need in Contra Costa.

Holiday Food Box Collection Dates -Join Monument Crisis Center’s Holiday Food Box drive and help collect 1,800 boxes for the families of the Center. Food Box collection begins November 27th and will continue through December 14th. Keep an eye out for our next newsletter which will contain the lists and instructions!

Heartfelt Gala 2018 -Saturday February 24th, 2018 Save the date for Monument Crisis Center’s Annual Heartfelt Gala! Blackhawk Museum, Danville Ca

the movement, dedicated to being part of the solution to hunger and the challenges that accompany poverty issues. This summer they will learn to serve their at-risk neighbor, a senior, a child, a family, and be part of something special that will truly make a difference.

Similar to 50 years ago there is a spirit at MCC where young people are getting together and putting their hearts and minds to make change.

This change is sometimes subtle– a shy smile on a child’s face dancing in the hip hop workshop, a grateful nod from a father receiving nutritious food and diapers for his children, a grandmother reassured that her concerns are heard and translated.

Other times the impact is more obvious – MCC advocacy letters reaching representatives in Washington DC about potential budget cuts to our USDA commodity program, clients receiving mental health assessments to be eligible for housing placements, seniors having their blood pressure checked, moms happily signing up their middle school teen for the summer Robotics class or registering for a new backpack filled with essential school supplies at our Backpack Distribution in August.

These amazing efforts and more are happening through the collective efforts of these young, college interns who are volunteering their time and building an enduring legacy of their own. Contact Sandra at sscherer@monumentcrisiscenter.org

1 Usnews.com “San Francisco Celebrates Pivotal Time in US”

www.monumentcrisiscenter.org ♦ @monumentcrisisc ♦ facebook.com/monumentcrisiscenter ♦ P: (925) 825-7751 ♦ F: (925) 825-8732 Mailing: P.O. Box 23973, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 ♦ Site: 1990 Market St., Concord, CA 94520

SUMMER 2017

To Volunteer Please Visit: monumentcrisiscenter.org/volunteer To Host a Food Drive: Please contact Daniel Scherer at dscherer@monumentcrisiscenter.org

Contact us! Phone 925.825.7751 Fax 925.825.8732 Site: 1990 Market St. Concord Ca 94520 Mail: PO Box 23973 Pleasant Hill Ca 94523

www.monumentcrisiscenter.org

DID YOU KNOW? Did you know that donating to Monument Crisis Center can be as easy as shopping on Amazon.com? Before you start shopping type in smile.amazon.com select your charity, and go! Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible Amazon Smile purchases directly to Monument Crisis Center! Amazon Smile has the same products, same prices, and same service as regular Amazon, but each purchase will go towards supporting your favorite organization! Find out more at smile.amazon.com

ROBOTICS: Sponsored by The Tesoro Foundation

ABOVE: Richard Cruz leading the Robotics Class, poses in the classroom. ABOVE: Engineer Tuyen Mai helping students with programming.

Thanks to The Tesoro Foundation, more than a dozen students were able to participate in Monument Crisis Center’s Robotics Summer Camp 2017. Students were taught everything from lab etiquette to coding, programming, engineering, and more! Richard Cruz, pictured above, and his team of engineers taught the class, which was funded by a $20,000 grant from The Tesoro Foundation intended to boost training and education in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields. The campers were introduced to the science of robotics and programming and increased their computer literacy in an opportunity that may not have been provided to them, otherwise. Students built LEGO Mindstorm robots that included sensor programming and testing, hardware, software, power packs, and more.

ABOVE: (Left to right) Engineers Arlo Evans, Xavier Cruz, Richard Cruz, William

ABOVE: LEGO Mindstorm Robot

www.monumentcrisiscenter.org ♦ @monumentcrisisc ♦ facebook.com/monumentcrisiscenter ♦ P: (925) 825-7751 ♦ F: (925) 825-8732 Mailing: P.O. Box 23973, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 ♦ Site: 1990 Market St., Concord, CA 94520

SUMMER 2017

THE INTERN ISSUE

Earn & Learn Mt. Diablo High School Interns – Parisa, Sierra, and Salvador. The Earn & Learn Program organizes work-based learning experiences that are helpful for employers and transformational for youth. This summer these 3 students were placed at Monument Crisis Center through our partnership with the Mt. Diablo Unified School District. Each of these interns has gained new life and work skills, broadened their knowledge and have grown more confident in themselves and their abilities.

Sandra Erostico is a Brentwood native and currently attending CSUEB. An internship requirement for a class brought her attention to the Monument Crisis Center. She was intrigued by the vast spectrum of services offered here and wanted to be able to learn more about all the facets of the center. She has really loved working at the Center and can see herself coming back to volunteer even after her class is over, as she has found she really enjoys working here and the people that she’s gotten to meet.

Tuyen Mai is from the Antioch area and started here in January as part of her CSUEB community service hours. She began working with our after school program, and she fell in love with the center and the people. She decided to stay at the Center even after completing her required hours because she loves the people here and the work that she gets to do.

De La Salle Valedictorian Connor Menefee is from Pleasant Hill and is starting at St. Mary’s College in the fall. At the recommendation of a friend, he helped out with our summer camp a few years ago. This summer, he returned to the Center to give back before heading off to college.

Earn and Learners

Tuyen Mai

Connor “Corndog” Menefee

Sandra Erostico

Antonio Hurtado is from Pittsburg and a current SFSU student. He originally started at the Center at the suggestion of a friend who was interning here at the time. After interviewing and accepting an internship here, he now works primarily in the food pantry, organizing volunteers and making sure that distribution runs smoothly. He has been here for four years because he loves the work he does and the close-knit group of people here at the Center has been “like a second family.”

Antonio Hurtado

www.monumentcrisiscenter.org ♦ @monumentcrisisc ♦ facebook.com/monumentcrisiscenter ♦ P: (925) 825-7751 ♦ F: (925) 825-8732 Mailing: P.O. Box 23973, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 ♦ Site: 1990 Market St., Concord, CA 94520

SUMMER 2017

THE INTERN ISSUE

Annalee Sasahara is from Pittsburg and started volunteering here when she was 5 years old with her dad. She has come back every summer since, doing whatever she could do to help. The Center was always a positive place for her. She said it brought her a different perspective that one simply cannot get from another extracurricular. After her first year at school at Pt. Loma Nazarene, she wanted to come back, this time bringing her acquired graphic design and photography skills to continue helping out at the center.

Annalee Sasahara

Edgar Martinez

Latonia Anderson

Latonia Anderson is a nurse and is currently continuing her education at the University of Phoenix. She helps in every aspect of the Center including English classes, intake, reception and the food pantry. She loves interacting with clients, being able to assess their needs, and looking for ways she can help them.

Edgar Martinez is a current CSUEB student from the Pittsburg/Antioch area. As part of his internship requirement, he found out about the Center. Upon researching it more himself, he knew he wanted to work here. He works in the pantry and loves being able to see the whole process. “From being on the receiving end in the past, it’s now interesting to be able to see what goes into helping the people who really do need it.”

Kiran Ahluwalia is from Danville and is currently a student at American University. She was first exposed to the Center when her parents began volunteering, and later she donated paintings here while in high school. She stayed to work here this summer because she wanted to spend the summer doing work that would involve public service and helping the community in a meaningful way. She loves being able to interact with the clients and being able to contribute to helping them in such tangible ways.

Kiran Ahluwalia

Alisa Ramos graduated last year from CSUEB. After completing an internship with the Center for school, Alisa stayed on with us working intake and client services. “I just loved everything about the Center and all it does… and being a part of real meaningful help for the community.”

Alisa Ramos